It was Just a Monday

First I would like to start my post with saying thank you to all the wonderful people who left comments on my blog. It was great to read all the encouraging comments. I know that so much love and support is around me during this time. I will continue to keep you posted as your support means the world to me. Yesterday was a tough day for me as I worried all day about not being able to get pregnant. I think what made it tough was I spent the day at the office working alone with nothing to distract me like the TV or Bella. While I was at the office I had little to NO motivation to work I just wanted the day to end. Once I got home and got busy preparing dinner and taking care of Bella I was feeling much better, than Chad came home and that seemed to help. We spent the evening having dinner, taking Bella for a walk, and playing Phase 10 while we watched Dancing with the Stars. I normally do not watch DWTS, but this season is great! I absolutely love Shawn Johnson and Melissa Rycroft. I was not too excited that the judges did not care for Shawn Johnson's performance... I thought it was great and she did deserve three 10's. Unfortunately I do believe that Holly Madison and Steve-O are going to go home. They didn't do that great and are behind a bit from the other contestants. If you watch the show what do you think? Today will be a great afternoon as our friends Akshie and Tejas's from NYC are coming to Bentonville for a visit. We are going to lunch today at Abuelos. I can't wait to see her final wedding photos. So for today I am spending the morning at home working and than off to lunch with great friends. Plus tonight is ZUMBA night at the fitness center.

Thanks again to my wonderful friends for their comments it meant the world to me!

Heavy on my Heart

Do you ever have moments or situations in your life that weigh heavy on your heart? I do and today I am going to express what is heavy on my heart and seek words of encouragement from all of you reading. Some of you are aware that my husband Chad and I have been trying to conceive a baby for the past two years. And the struggle of not being able to have a baby and the disappointments of failure each month does weigh heavy on my heart. I strongly believe that sharing my thoughts is my therapy. So if you don't mind sitting back and listening I could use a few friends. I have learned over the past few weeks that TTC naturally will not happen for us. We are going to have to have the helping hands of doctors again. I will have to admit that at first I was disappointed and had a unsettling feeling in my stomach about seeking help, but when you want something so bad you have to put aside your feelings and just go for it! I am telling everyone that is reading that over the next month Chad and I are going through a cycle of IVF. The feelings I have about IVF is one of hope that the doctor's will be able to do what we are unable to do. I have given my freedom of getting pregnant to the doctor's and I will have faith and hope that it will work and all my dreams will come true. Some of the nervous events that will take place are daily shots twice a day for a few weeks, than adding another shot, than another, and so forth until the day of egg retrieval. I am walking through this with a positive outlook and as the days unfold I will continue to share some details of our journey through IVF. I ask that my friends and family continue to pray for us during this time and with the use of our blog you will be able to walk in our journey with us. This is the easiest way for us to share our infertility journey without getting emotional and also letting it be what it will be. Plus some day we can share our journey with our kids. (I hope!) We ask that you please respect the sensitive nature of our journey and when the time comes we will share our journey through TTC with you.
If any one has ever struggled with infertility my heart goes out to you and if you have any encouraging words for us I open my eyes to your words of encouragement or advice. I do have great compassion for any one that struggles with having a baby. I had no idea until I was faced with infertility issues that it was so difficult to have babies. And if you are walking in those shoes today or in the past I do have compassion for you all. My god bless you soon!
I hope that today's blog allows our friends and family to understand the journey that we have been on for some time and will understand our heartache for the past few years. For the next month Chad and I have decided that we will create a positive environment of great support from friends and family in order to walk through this journey with peace and little to no concern of getting pregnant, because from this day forward it is not in our hands. We can only have faith and hope!
So now I am signing off to come up with a list of things that I enjoy doing on my own as well as things that we both can enjoy doing together.
BTW... you can find a infertility roadmap on the right hand side of our blog page... we have been through a lot over the past few years!

What is heavy on your heart?

What a Saturday

What is in a Saturday? Our Saturday was filled with birthday parties and snow!

We started our day by waking up early as I could not sleep and Chad was out the door at 6AM to go workout with his Personal Trainer and than he was off to walk in Fayetteville at the Heart Walk. Little did we know that on March 28th we would have snow. It is crazy. It will be cold today and warm tomorrow... that is how it works here in Arkansas. After the walk we had a total of three birthday parties to go too. First we started with Kendall's 5th Birthday and Kelsey's 1st Birthday party... it was great fun at Fast Lanes. Kim and Brad always seem to do a great job with their little ones parties. Kelsey didn't know what to think of her cake so basically played in the frosting and did not eat any of the cake. Kendall had a Barbie cake and she had a lot of her school friends at her party so it was great to meet them. We got Kendall a Hannah Montana microphone set and she loved it! Next stop Gymboree for Jasmine's 3rd birthday party. It was great fun and always great people are at the Soto's parties to visit with. I can't believe that she is 3 years old. She was very polite to all of her guest and she had a great Dora birthday party. It is always great to see friends, even if it is at kids birthday parties.

After the parties we ran a few errands and now we are at home relaxing! It is too cold outside to do anything outside, so we are going to hibernate inside for the rest of the evening.

A few updates:
1. Chad's dad Millard had surgery this morning. Everything went well and he is at home resting. He will begin radiation for the next week for several weeks and we will continue to pray that the cancer does not return.
2. My sister Amie's unborn baby is doing good, they had their ultrasound on Thursday and the babies stomach is growing they just have concerns about the babies kidneys. They will continue to do ultrasounds every 2 weeks to make sure the baby is doing well. Thank you for your continued prayers. God is good!

Relaxation

So for the next few weeks I am making it my mission to relax. What does relaxation mean? Relaxation is the act of relaxing or the state of being relaxed. Refreshment of the body or mind. I have found a few suggestions in the state of relaxation. Relax by first relaxing your body then by creating an image that unites everything about you, your body, mind and emotions; an image that you find personally peaceful. Make the image as vivid as possible and as completely as possible be in the image. Breathe with your diaphragm and start by doing this 15-20 minutes a day. Do you have any suggestions for me on relaxation?

Here is a picture I took in Cancun Mexico in August 2008. This is the image and memory that I will focus on when trying to relax. Send me your images that you are going to use to relax. I would love to see them.

I wish you and your loved ones a Wonderful Weekend! Take a moment to relax!

Happy Thursday

I love sending emails to friends and families and wishing them a Happy Day of the Week... just like my post states Happy Thursday Blog Followers. It is a happy day as we are all one day closer to the weekend. Yeah! I am looking forward to the weekend.

What makes Thursday a Happy day for you?

I am happy because I feel blessed with a wonderful and supportive husband

I am happy because I have the greatest friends and family that a girl can ask for

I am happy because I am healthy and happy

I am happy because I have my dog Bella in my life to make me smile each day

I am happy with my life

I may have heart ache as every one does, but for today I am happy and will continue to be in a happy place with a positive outlook in life to get me through difficult life events. I challenge each of you to do the same.

I am on pins and needles waiting for the call from my sister with the results of her ultrasound. I will keep you all posted. Thanks again for praying for her family. Have a Happy Thursday!

What are you Waiting For?

What are some things you are waiting for? Here is a list of things I am waiting for:

1. Amie's Ultrasound Results - Thursday March 26th is the big day - what will the doctor's tell her?

2. Dentist Appointment - Thursday morning - I hope it goes well and NO cavities and I get a GOOD Report from the dentist!

3. Chad's Dad is having surgery on Saturday to remove cancer from his tongue - WE are both waiting to hear the GREAT NEWS that they got everything this time.

4. My Mom is having surgery on April 1st... yes April Fool's Day... she is having her tonsils removed... OUCH - Everything will go well and she will take care of herself! (Right Mom?)

5. Chad is running in the Hogeye Marthon on April 5th - I am waiting for this day as Chad is so excited and I can't wait to cheer him on... Go Chad Go!

6. Amie and Brian Hansen's son Aidan turns 3 on April 15th - I am waiting for this day as I am so excited to see him! He has changed so much and he loves his AuntieLissa!

7. May 5th - Amie and Brian's Baby is Due - I can't wait to meet my new nephew and see how Aidan likes his new baby brother.

8. July 29th - Two exciting events... Amie and I (we are twins) are turning the BIG 30 plus our little sister Jessyca is due with her baby girl Marley - I especially can't wait to see how Jessyca reacts to being a mommy.

9. So for now that is what I am waiting for!

10. But what I am really waiting for is to hear the news that Chad and I are pregnant... that would be great to hear... all I can do for now is just HOPE and PRAY that we will get the NEWS we are hoping for in the next few months...

What are you Waiting For in your life? I would love to hear your stories... Waiting for things my seem overwhelming but it does give me something to look forward too. Share your stories and I will Hope and Pray for you and your loved ones...

Morning Walks and Chocolate Milk

What gets you started for the day? My day always starts with a morning walk with Bella and a tall glass of chocolate milk. Today on our walk it was beautiful outside. The wind was blowing, but the sky was bright blue with white fluffy clouds. A few thoughts while I walked, the fluffy clouds looked like giant feather pillows that I would love to lay my head on and forget my troubles, oh to be trouble free would be a great feeling. The wind was strong and it made me think of what Chad said to me yesterday... all my worries I need to put in God's hands and felt at that moment that with the wind in my face that God was pulling all my worries from my body so I did not need to worry and HE was going to take care of everything. So with my thoughts this week I will not worry I will praise GOD for everything he has given to me in my life and let GOD take care of everything else. Walking and listening to the music today has been a great spiritual healing to me and I enjoyed breathing in the air and watching the winter season transition to the spring season.
Chocolate milk... I must have chocolate milk each day to get started. It is a great feeling when I have my first drink of my chocolate milk each morning. I look forward to the mornings when I can get up and have chocolate milk. Those days I don't get chocolate milk are rare, but if it does happen it is very difficult to get through the day. What are your morning rituals? Do you have to have the same food or drink in the morning? I would love to hear if some one has the same habits as I do.
Make it a GREAT day!

Just Another Movie Night

So for the past two weekends Chad and I have spent Saturday evening watching movies at home. It has been a great bonding time for us both... Bella too! Bella prefers if we are home. Chad is not into watching movies so it is a big deal when he wants to watch movies with me. I love watching movies. It is important to me that we take the time to relax and lead a stress free life. We are trying to slow down our social calendar and stay home and relax. And I would say that we are doing well when it comes to Saturday evenings. Lets just see if this continues. We rented the following movies, Twilight, Rachel's Getting Married, and Australia. Twilight was a great movie, I didn't think that I was going to enjoy it, but I did. We are getting ready to watch Rachel's Getting Married... stay tune and I will let you know how the rest of the evening turned out. Until than enjoy the last few hours of Saturday!

Great Smells

I am not sure about this title but it is a true passion to me. If you come to my house it will always smell great. So what am I talking about, well let me tell you. First I do not like it when it smells in my house, for example after making dinner or breakfast I do not like how it makes my house smell. So I do have several Febreze plug ins that always are putting out a great smell. If you have not tried the Febreze plug ins you should try them, they are great! However my most FAVORITE thing in my house is my Lampe Bergers. We have three of them in our home and today I was able to go to a local gift shop called B LaRue to stock up on oils. Few of my favorite scents are Sea Mist, Sweet Pear, Green Apple, and Creme Brulee. If you don't have one you should try one, you will be addicted! So you probably thinking this is weird, but it always makes me smile when I come home and my house smells great! I hope you all have a great weekend! Take time to enjoy every moment with loved ones. I know I will!

Here is a brief update on my twin sister Amie and her unborn baby boy. She spoke with her doctor yesterday and the baby has IUGR. This is a condition in which the fetus is smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy. Amie will go to the doctor on March 26th for another ultrasound and they will determine if in fact they need to either put her on bed rest or deliver the baby early. I know many of you are praying for my sister, but I ask that you continue to pray for Amie and Brian Hansen. Thank you for all the love you have shown thus far. I will continue to keep you posted.

I got a Facelift

As you can see by my blog page I got a facelift... What do you think? I am extremely happy with the way it has turned out! With the help of Jen Gets Fancy I now have a custom blog page for all to see. I would have to say that Jen does a great job and the job gets completed quickly at a very low cost. So if you are interested please check out her blog. http://jengetsfancy.blogspot.com/

I need your prayers over the next week, my twin sister Amie is pregnant and is in her 33rd week. Last week she had to have an ultrasound due to the fact that her belly was not measuring what it should have been, she finally got the results yesterday and it is not so good news. She has to have another ultrasound next Thursday March 26th as they found that the baby's abdomen is not growing. We are all remaining positive, but would like you to say an extra prayer over the next several weeks for the Hansen Family. You can check out her blog page for updates at http://hansensons.blogspot.com/. Have a blessed day!

Warm Days in Arkansas

I am so excited that Spring is upon us and with the last two days of 70 plus weather in Arkansas it is a true sign that Spring is coming! So what did I do on our two beautiful days of warm weather? Bella and I spent the days walking in the neighborhood. Bella was all smiles with the warm weather and walks twice a day. I am sure she felt a little spoiled by her mom, but I enjoyed it just as much as she did. It is great to see the kids in the neighborhood playing and catching up with a few neighbors is always great! I like keeping in touch with all the families in the neighborhood because it makes me feel like it is a friendly place to live. I know I can always count on my neighbors. I just hope that it won't rain too much for the next few days and Chad, Bella, and I can enjoy the warm weather this weekend. I hope that wherever you live it begins to warm up and you can enjoy the weather too!

With this warm weather it makes me want to be on vacation with warm sand between my toes. Chad and I have had the pleasure to be able to go on vacation for the past three years and this will be the first year that we will not be going to the beach. We have other priorities and we need to stay close to home. I would love to hear if anyone is going on a beach vacation this year. I would love to get some ideas for future trips we may take. Here are a few of our last beach trips: Ocho Rios Jamaica we stayed at the Riu Palace Resorts, Adventura Spa Palace Riveria Maya, Mexico, and Excellance Playa Mujeres Resort in Mexico. All three resorts were all inclusive and great vacations. If you are about to leave on vacation for Spring Break Enjoy and I am so Jealous. Have fun in the sun... I look forward to hearing about your vacation destinations.

Weekend Wrap Up and It's Monday!

Saturday Moments: So I thought that I would share some cute moments that took place during our weekend! As I shared with everyone on Friday Chad and I watched Kendall and Kelsey Fisher so their parents could attend a wedding in Bella Vista. We arrived at their house to find both kids taking afternoon naps. After a few hours of napping they both woke and ready to play! Kendall is 4 years old going on 5 at the end of this month and Kelsey is 11 months old. Kendall was not feeling well so she spent a lot of time sitting on the couch resting and watching TV with Chad. They watched a few episodes of Flip That House. One of the episodes highlighted a home that was infested with Termites and of course given Kendall's age she wanted to know what they were and why the house was covered in these bugs. Lots and Lots of Questions... you have to love kids! So Chad explained to Kendall what termites are and they continued to watch the show until Kim and Brad arrived home. Kelsey and I spent time together playing in her room and she loved her little play horse. Check out the video and pictures of Cute Little Kelsey playing. I had a great afternoon spending time with these GREAT GIRLS. The cutest moment was when we were leaving to go home, Kendall went into her room to get me something and guess what this little 4 year old did... she went into her piggy bank to get $20.00 to pay me for coming over to watch her and Kelsey. I was so amazed that she did this... what 4 year old thinks of paying for her babysitters? I explained to her that she did not have to pay me as I wanted to come over and play with her, this conversion went back and forth for several minutes until she finally gave up. I was not about to take a 4 years old money. It was a great moment that I will never forget!

Saturday evening Chad and I watched a few movies that I thought that I would share with you... Changeling and Nights in Rodanthe. GREAT MOVIES if you have not seen these movies please rent, you will enjoy them both!




Sunday Moments: Our biggest highlight was going to church and if you haven't read my blog from Sunday please read it was my highlights from the church service. Thanks to all for posting comments. The afternoon I spent cleaning house, doing laundry, and getting dinner ready. Chad spent a few hours running 13 miles to get ready for his Hogeye Run on April 5th, 2009.




It's Now Monday: My morning started with my last Monday class of pilates for the winter season and working in the office for the afternoon. I was able to get home early to take Bella for a walk as it was 70 degrees today in NWA. YEAH SPRING IS HERE... at least I hope so... After our walk Bella and I came home and I baked chocolate chip cookies for a few new neighbors. Shortly after dinner Chad, Bella, and I delivered the cookies to our new neighbors. Yes I do try to bake and introduce ourselves to our neighbors as I think it makes the neighborhood a friendly place to live. And it is a small world, our neighbors that just moved in across the street our from Montana. I am from Montana too. They moved to NWA for Walmart. So if you are looking for a house... stop by Willow Bend Subdivision in Bentonville and take a look we have a few homes for sale! I hope that everyone enjoys the spring weather as I know Bella and I will be on many walks this week.

Question of Fear

Is FEAR paralyzing your life? That is a great question that was discussed today in Church. I would have to be completely honest and say YES I walk in fear. Fear is with me each day, so when we discussed it today in church I felt WOW FEAR can really impact my life and not for the good. I have FEAR of not being able to fulfill my dreams of having babies in the future. Truly my FEAR might be the reason we have spent the last 2 years trying with no success. FEAR is paralyzing me in the present and it is forfeiting my future. What to do next? I need to face the future without FEAR. How am I going to do this I will do it by the power of the Holy Spirit, with the love of Jesus Christ, and with sound judgement. All and all I will put the power in God's hands and will let what happens... happen. I cannot be in control of this situation (even though I would like too) I have to let go and let GOD lead the way! I am challenging myself to do this and let go of FEAR! AS FEAR is False Evidence that Appears Real... if I continue to walk in FEAR my dreams may never come true! So if any of my blog friends have advice to give to me I open my heart to hearing from you.

Friday Finally and Weekend Plans!

It is Friday and I am so glad that this is the last working day. It has been a long week and busy week for me. I had my boss in town for meetings with Walmart and it seemed like a very long week. I not only had meetings this week I had a lot of work to get done. I am still busy today, but I am looking forward to the weekend. What do you have planned for the weekend? Our weekend plans start tonight with our Friday routine of going to dinner and playing cards with our friends Kim and Brad Fisher. It is our turn to pick where to go for dinner so we are going to On the Border and than to our house to play cards. It is always a great way to start the weekend. Saturday I will start the day with going to ZUMBA class. Have you tried ZUMBA as a exercise plan? If not to all my blog friends you should try it! It is so much fun and an awesome workout. My afternoon plans consist of watching Kendall and Kelsey Fisher while their parents attend a wedding at the Glass Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas. It will be great fun to spend some time with the girls. For the evening I would like to go to a movie with Chad and enjoy time together. Any suggestions? Sunday we will go to church and spend the afternoon at home catching up on household duties. I hope whatever you have planned for the weekend that you enjoy each day and take a little time to relax.

Now onto a FUN topic shopping! Kelly Stamp's a fellow blogger has asked her blog friends to talk about recession shopping. I thought that I would write a few comments about where I like to shop. First I love basic items they are great to wear year after year. So for basic shopping I go to the GAP. It is a great place to get basic shirts short and long sheelve in any colors and think it can be used year after year so that is some cheap shopping. However I am a HUGE fan of TRENDS I always try to stay on top of the trends especially with seasonal colors. For trend shopping I like to go to Banana Republic, Fossil, and White House Black Market. It can be a bit more expensive, but if I cannot get a least a few seasons of wear I do not purchase. I love these stores because the clothes are high quality and last longer. Now for one of my favorite shopping stops online it is Shop It To Me, http://www.shopittome.com/?refID=salemail This site allows you to view different sites that have AWESOME sales. My final place on the web that I would like to discuss is EYES, LIPS, FACE (E.L.F) http://www.eyeslipsface.com you can get makeup for $1.00! WOW! I have purchased several mineral products and I love it! Happy Shopping!

ALL ABOUT BELLA

If you know me well you know I love my dog Bella. So today my post is about Bella!

Bella is the best dog. She has the best personality and has her own routine each day. She is however HIGH MAINTENANCE! It all started in December 2007 when Bella became very sick. I did not know what was wrong with her... all she did each day for about three days was sleep, she did not eat at all. So I finally decided that a trip to the vet was in order. Little did I know that it would be a very emotional week. I remember this week like it was yesterday. Bella and I went to the vet on Monday and they thought that maybe she just ate something that upset her belly so they put her on some medicine and gave me precription dog food. Well that did not work and Bella and I went back to the vet the next day to get some blood work. A few hours later they called to let me know that Bella's kidneys were failing. During the few days Bella lost 15 pounds... it was unbelieve that she could lose this much weight in such a short period of time. WOW is all I could think! Why was this happening? The doctor's were not sure why Bella's kidneys would fail at such a young age. Bella at the time was only one. Bella was immediately put on dialysis to help improve her situation and more testing. Bella ended up staying at the All Pets Animal Hospital for three days before they determined that she has Addison's Disease. I also forgot to mention that Chad was out of town during this whole ordeal. I was on my own making decisions that I thought that I would never have to make. Each day I went twice a day to the vet and spent a few hours with Bella crying as it was horrible seeing her that way. But once she was able to eat and drink on her own she got to come home and that day finally arrived on Friday afternoon. She had a bandage on her front paw and we spent the next few days getting her back to normal and ready for the holidays. BTW Addison's Disease is a serious illness involving the adrenal glands. Bella's adrenal glands do not produce enough Cortisol to regulate the conversion of protein and fat into glucose and Cortisol to tell her body how to react to stress. Bella now takes a shot every 30 days called Percorten-V and she takes a Prednisone each day. Not only do we have issues with Addison's disease Bella just recently has lost some of her hair on her back side. As a result we have had a skin graph completed in Oklahoma where we have since learned that she has seasonal allergies. She now is taking Melatonin twice a day to help with this issue and for now it is working... YEAH! As I look back over the past two years of Bella's life it amazes me what we have gone through... lots of money and heart ache, but at the end of the day our lifes would not be the same without Bella. Here are a few pictures of Bella from a puppy until now. So to all the dog lovers out there I know how you feel when your dog gets sick. Take care of your dogs as it is always great coming home and they are always happy to see you! I will continue to share our journey with Bella to all my New Blog Friends.

Great Friends Bring Great Memories

Here is our great friends/Arkansas parents Mary and Greg Ramsey

We are back from our weekend trip to Bee Branch. We had a fabulous time. It all started with the drive as we got closer to southern Arkansas the landscaping turned green and the sun was shining. We arrived at Mary and Greg's house around noon and enjoyed their company before dinner. We had pork steak, potatoes, and salad. It was a great home cooked meal... thanks Mary! After dinner we played cards until early AM!

Saturday we took a drive to Mountain View to go through the Blanchard Springs Caverns. What an amazing experience. It was beautiful and very interesting to walk through the caves. If you are down in Mountain View please stop by and visit... you will be amazed! Here are a few photos and a bit of history on the caves. http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreation/dripstone_tour.html

After our fun field afternoon we spent the evening playing Phase 10, Mary was the BIG WINNER of the night! On Sunday afternoon we returned home to Bentonville relaxed and ready for the week ahead of us. We are not sure if Bella is rested for her fun weekend. She has been sleeping all afternoon. Here are a few great pictures of her relaxing...

Thanks Mary and Greg for a wonderful relaxing weekend! We love you both!

Weekend Trip to Bee Branch Arkansas

Yes Bee Branch, Arkansas... you are probably thinking where is this and why are we going to Bee Branch? Bee Branch is located about 40 miles outside of Conway, Arkansas. They have a Post Office, a gas station, a bank, a beauty salon, and a catfish restaurant at that is it! Our dearest friends Mary and Greg Ramsey moved their after Mary retired from Walmart Stores Inc. I call them our Arkansas Parents. I say this because when we go to their house Mary cooks home cooked meals and we just relax the entire weekend. It is like being with my mom in Montana. Yes I am originally from Billings, Montana and Chad is from Tennessee. It is really what we need... especially Chad he has worked 12 days start without a weekend break! It will also allow Chad and I to spend time together and talk while we drive 3 hours there and back. The only sad news is that we have to leave Bella here... but Bella has the BEST babysitters... (BTW Bella is our dog) Bella goes Bella and Bobby DeBocca's house. They LOVE Bella and look forward to watching her while we are gone on trips. Bella gets to play with their two dogs and go on LOTS of walks. Here is a picture of our spoiled dog Bella.

(sorry it is a Halloween picture)

I hate leaving her, but I know that she is in GREAT hands while we are gone. I will enjoy the break!

I hope that all my family and friends have a wonderful weekend! Make each day special and memorable. And if you are in Arkansas reading this enjoy the WARM Friday and Saturday! I know we will! I am so EXCITED for the 70 plus weather.

I look forward to sharing our weekend with everyone when we return from a relaxing trip in Bee Branch Arkansas... no cell phones or computers allowed...

Last Night as a Single Girl

Tomorrow night Chad will be HOME after being away from home for 7 days, he has been in Orlando for the Year Beginning Meeting for Walmart. I truly missed him! He helps keep my mind off concerns I have in life... like having a baby. We spend most week day nights cooking dinner together (he tries to help, but if you know Chad he is not that great in the kitchen) and we watch TV and play Phase 10 Master's Edition. Since he has been gone I sit on the couch and catch up on my list of shows that we DVR'd and than I end up in bed watching HGTV and working on my computer. Chad would not be too happy with a computer in bed for the past few days. I will have to break that habit starting tomorrow as Chad will be home! YEAH!

What are some of the things that you do when your husband is away? I would love some ideas...

The one thing that I love about Chad being gone is that my heart grows more in love with Chad when he is away... I appreciate the moments we have together. I hope if you are reading this you can take a moment and reflect on your relationship and appreciate what you have as for some it does not come easy. Show loved ones that you care and encourage them as they walk through life.

As a single girl this week I did not do anything exciting, Bella and I just spent the evenings together. Bella enjoys when Chad goes on business trips as he gets to sleep on his side of the bed. Yes Bella our 75 pound dog sleeps with us. It is interesting she sleeps right by me... she has to be touching me at all times. In the morning she will wake me up at 5AM to go outside and than she thinks she needs to eat... that does not happen I make her wait until at least 7AM before I feed her. If I do not wake up she will walk over the entire bed and than lay on top of me to get me to get up... silly Bella. Some day when babies come Bella is going to have to move on out of the bed. That will be a sad day for Bella and secretly me too... don't tell Chad!

Two Posts in One Day!

So I was so blown away by the Bachelor that I had to add a new post! So the first two hours it seemed as everything was going as planned... Jason was going to pick Melissa. It happened Jason did pick Melissa and it was a beautiful moment. What a happy ending!

Little did I know that everything would change... Jason managed to break two peoples heart. I am not sure what Jason was thinking. It truly was a historical moment in Bachelor history. I felt so sorry for Melissa and was not liking Jason at ALL! How could he not only do that to Melissa, but to her family and his OWN family... what about TY? Oh what reality TV does to me... I am not happy with Jason and it is disappointing that he would do what he did, but it is his life and he has to make the best decision for himself. I truly hope that he is happy with Molly and that both of their dreams come true. However if I were Molly I would not take him back so easily and I hope that she takes the time to decide with her mind and her heart what the right decision is for her. My one question to the Bachelor would be when will we get future updates on Jason and Molly and what is next for Melissa? For now I will have to wait until tomorrow night.

If you are reading this and you have not watched the Bachelor yet, I am truly sorry :)

Gazillion Bubbles... and what will be of the Bachelor...

Most of you know that I work for a toy company called Funrise Toys. They are starting the Ultimate Gazillion Bubble Photo Contest. It will run through July 20, 2009. So to all my friends and family if your kids or dogs LOVE playing with bubbles, take pictures or video and submit it at the following link... www.funrise.com/photocontest/

So now let's discuss the Bachelor! Should Jason pick Melissa or Molly? I think that the BEST Girl for him is Melissa! I have loved them as a couple from the beginning! I am so excited to see the show tonight. So what I really think is going to happen is DeAnna will come and speak with Jason and he will tell her that it is too late! DeAnna will be heart broken and Jason is such a nice guy that it will upset him... that is why he is crying on the preview. He will ask Melissa to marry him, but he wants to do it the Gentlemen way and ask Melissa's parents for permission. They will have a private moment without camera's and Jason and Melissa will be engaged! YEAH! I hope I am right! Enjoy the show!

Jason pick Melissa...

I Must Tell Jesus and Encouraging One Another

Today was a busy Sunday! First Church, Clean House, and go to Addison's 2nd Birthday Party. It was a great day and I would like to share with you my thoughts from chruch service.

Today at church I was so moved by the song I Must Tell Jesus. It really spoke to me today.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

I must tell Jesus all of my trials, I cannot bear these burdens alone; In my distress He kindly will help me, He ever loves and cares for His own.
Refrain: I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone; I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
I must tell Jesus all of my troubles, He is a kind, compassionate Friend; If I but ask Him He will deliver, Make of my troubles quickly an end.
Tempted and tried I need a great Savior, One who can help my burdens to bear; I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus: He all my cares and sorrows will share.
What must I do when worldliness calls me? What must I do when tempted to sin? I must tell Jesus, and He will help me Over the world the vict’ry to win.

I think we all have burdens in life and worries that when the choir sung this song it made me cry and realize that sharing your deepest feelings to Jesus might help me in these times of hurt. My heart is heavy with worries and sadness and I am reaching out starting today to Jesus for support and guideness.

Today was a touching day of words for me, Pastor Ronnie Floyd discussed Encouraging One Another. Encouraging can be encouraging others or receiving encouragement. I will spend the week focusing on encouraging others in my life, by walking with them, standing with, them and doing what is best for others. I encourage each of you reading to find ways during the week to encourage others in your life. It will amaze you how many people need courage and encouragement in life. I wanted to take the time today to share my thoughts about lessons I have learned today.